Just when we were yesterday calmly whatching the movements around the house of Rosario in Porreres, we saw Haakon and Kyril with his eldest daughter and the son of Mette Marit, leaving the house with the surfing board. They were going to the beach, this time to s'Estanyol, where they met the Duke of Palma and two of his children. It was clear that they were going to spend the morning together, bathing. And, indeed, thus it happened. After setting their parasols, Kyril, Iñaki and the children run to the water, while Haakon did not move from under the parasol, during the whole morning.

In the meantime, what happened in the house of Rosario? There was the Duchess from Palma, arriving with little Irene. There was no doubt that they were going to wait for their spouses, to have lunch after the bath. As thus it happened.

http://www.ultimahora.es/discreto.dba?-1+12+328901In the meantime, what happened in the house of Rosario? There was the Duchess from Palma, arriving with little Irene. There was no doubt that they were going to wait for their spouses, to have lunch after the bath. As thus it happened.

Where is M-M and Ìngrid Alexandra? They was with haakon and Marius to Palma.

__________________So I’ll stand With arms high and heart abandoned In awe of the One who gave it all. My soul to You surrendered, All I am is Yours.

Thanks Larzen for the great pictures of Haakon, Inaki and Kyril playing with their children at the beach! :)

Three very devoted fathers! If only there was a good picture of all three men: They could be like the three royal musketeers!

Haakon must be one of the friendliest royals -- his and Mette-Marit's social circle of royal friends is quite large. They seem to holiday with many couples and families: Willem and Maxima before Alexia was born, Rosario and Kyril frequently, the Wessexes when they lived in London during their year of study, they are also each godparents to Pavlos and Marie-Chantal's children, Haakon is also a godfather to Eloise, daughter of Prince Constantijn, and now here is Haakon playing in the water with Inaki and his sons.

Iñaki takes the same swimsuit that his children, and they are even more showy than that of Jaime de Marichalar, an assurance that like that the nios do not get lost.

As for what Alexandria comments of the friendship, the Dukes of Palm I believe that they are there more for their friendship with those of Preslav that for that they could have with Hakoon. The royal families Spanish and Bulgarian have a very familiar relation. The Princes of Asturias also go to house of Rosario and Kyril.
As for the beach in which they are, for what I have read it is a beach that has an a bit complicated access, because only the residents can accede to it in car in the zone, and other persons to have to leave the car to several kilometres and be walking.

For the Spaniards, I'd like to know how people there perceive Penafiel. This man is despicable. Why would he even drag innocent little Carla into this? She just basically went along with Cristina's children who happened to have nannies and escorts. Why does he have to paint a picture of Carla using their perks? What's wrong if she was on an exclusive beach with them? Wasn't she a guest? It's the same logic that my brother can play in a members-only golf course because he is a guest of someone who lives in the country club. He always tries to put a bad meaning in everything.

My aunt is a retired journalist who was part of the press corps that traveled with the King and Queen during the late 70s and early 80s. She knows Penafiel and describes him as a "self-important and bitter man" who will say anything just to be heard. Apparently he was fired from Hola at one point and tried and failed to start his own magazine to compete with it. It is also my understanding that he was part of the old Franquista guard, who, among other things, never forgave King Juan Carlos for essentially abolishing any kind of "court" when he became King. Before Letizia, the King was his most likely target. His favorite is of course Luis Alfonso and his mother, grand daughter and great-grandson of Franco. And don't think his criticism is limited to the Spanish RF--it's not. He is particulalry vicious to the late Princess Diana and Mette-Marit, and, if I recall correctly, has more or less said that the late Princess Grace was a drunken whore who used her acting skills to become the world's best princess.

El Mundo publishes him because, while it has wonderful investigative reporting, it also has a tendency towards irreverance and controversy. They always frame every article in the most polemic manner possible. A simple example, when Letizia's pregancy was announced every newspaper had a straight forward headline: Princess of Asturias expecting first child, or the like. Not El Mundo, their headline was "Pregancy opens constititional polemic" or something to that effect (the owner/editor of El Mundo is a real character himself, and was in a big videoed sex scandal a few years ago, to say nothing of his hypocritcal wife who claims to be a republican but sued to have the right to inherit her father's noble title).

Many people write about the Spanish RF with a fair eye, they are honest and critical at the same time. He is neither honest nor fair. My favorite chronicalist is the woman who writes for La Vanguardia. She writes well, honestly and fairly.

Thanks lucys for your explanation. I've really learned a lot from your post as well as the previous post of others about Jamie Penafiel (such as his dislike for Sofia because she apparently "snubbed" him by not attending the funeral of his child who died.

When Letizia first appeared on the scene in the days right before the engagement was announced I began to hear a lot about/from Jamie and never really knew his history with the royal family. He came off to me then though as a man who was bitter and angry about the royal family.

I am all for people in the media to criticize public figures, particularly figures who are serving their countries, as they see fit. But Jamie's comments never seemed to be legitimate criticisms. They always seemed to come from a place of great bitterness, spitefulness and resentment. Frankly, even as someone who does not read Spanish and has to rely on the translations of others, I didn't even want to read the translations of his articles. I knew it would be full of untruths and misguided anger and frustration with someone in the family, and unfairly so.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucys

El Mundo publishes him because, while it has wonderful investigative reporting, it also has a tendency towards irreverance and controversy. They always frame every article in the most polemic manner possible.

Quite sleazy of them isn't it? And unfortunate that any publication would provide a platform for Jamie to spew his garbage. But I guess there must be a market for his kind of "news" otherwise El Mundo wouldn't continue to have him on their staff.

Great post, lucys. I agree with Alexandria, I learned alot from it and it is also the kind of "solid" information that helps me understand better when I read Penafiel. Who is the journalist from the Vanguardia that you mentioned? I just noticed a great independent bookstore in our town carries it so I can read it from time to time.